Work Text:
word prompt: socket
The look Pitch was currently displaying was one of indignation, of disbelief, and of his patience with the frost sprite wearing out. Quickly. It wasn't the tree that was the problem - but why Jack thought it a good idea to taunt nay, offend, Pitch with finding a Christmas tree he will never know - it was the fact that the boy insisted on bright, flashing lights.
Setting up the power was complicated; Jack's control over the shadows had increased, but the visualisation to form the cables forced him to sleep for weeks. But Jack fitting the caves with electricity and running water was slightly better than Pitch's suggestion of "borrowing" humans to complete the job.
Jack was pulling the "I'm honestly not laughing at you I'm just smiling, honest" look, annoying Pitch further and causing even the loitering Nightmares to tense and jump.
"You just plug them in, and then flick the little switch, and then they light up. Pitch, I-"
"WILL BE DAMNED IF YOU INSIST ON CELEBRATING THE COSSACK'S HATEFUL DAY, I HAVE NOT EXISTED FOR ETERNITY TO-"
"Never celebrate Christmas? Come on Pitch, never have some fun? We'll have eggnog and presents and-"
"I WILL DO NOTHING OF THE SORT, I WILL BE STANDING OVER YOU AS YOU WRITHE ON THE FLOOR, SCREAMING AND BEGGING FOR MERCY AS MY NIGHTMARES-"
"Play and have fun because it's Christmas, Pitch!"
The Nightmare King's eyes were shining yellow now, and he had grown to almost the full height of the tree. Jack looked up, his full blue eyes shining as he smiled. He leant on his tiptoes, with his hands on Pitch's shoulders and kissed his lips softly.
"We don't have to celebrate if you don't want to, Pitch. I thought that maybe you'd like what I had planned, but I guess I was wrong. I can have the tree and the presents and everything gone by the morning if it makes you feel better? It was stupid of me to get you to do this, I'm sorry."
Pitch knew that Jack was hurting, but trying his best to cover up how he felt. Pitch hadn't thought about how much this meant to Jack; living in the darkness with the King of Nightmares for two hundred years was tough on the boy who loved nothing more than having fun. Pitch pulled Jack into an embrace, whispering into his hair.
"Stop, Jack, stop. Don't get rid of the tree, we can have Christmas. I know you don't mean harm. The Cossack and I have never been... on good terms with each other, but it doesn't stop you and I celebrating together. I know what this means to you, and I am honoured that you want to bring me into this."
Pitch dipped down and caught Jack in a simple kiss, with no ownership, no dominance, just love. Jack smiled against Pitch's lips and laughed softly. He knew he could overreact sometimes, but compared to Pitch and the heartfelt speech he'd just delivered, everything was going to be fine. Jack's mind flashed back to every time they'd ever had an argument, feeling like this was all a dream and he'd wake up again, gasping for air out of the frozen pond. Pitch held Jack tighter, one of his hands weaving into Jack's hair. Pitch knew everything that was going on in Jack's head. But he didn't need to say anything. Because as much as the fears plagued Jack, the King of Nightmares was always there to remind him that they were just that - fears that could never come true.
Jack dropped the lights and held onto Pitch tighter. Christmas could wait, it had come a hundred times before and it would come a thousand times after. Moments like this, of complete silence and understanding and harmony had to be savoured. And that's exactly what happened.